1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mounting an interface card within a computer housing, and particularly to mounting an interface card quickly and easily while maintaining reliability of the connection and allowing for a lower profile.
2. Background of the Invention
In current practice, computers often need to be coupled to other external peripheral devices, such as monitors, modems, and sound output devices, for performing various functions related to those devices. This coupling is commonly performed by way of an interface card, which is inserted into a socket on the computer's motherboard. The interface board is further connected to an external device through an elongated opening in the housing of the computer's main unit. This opening in the housing corresponds to the socket so that, when an interface card is installed in the socket, the card is accessible to the outside of the housing. Once an interface card is inserted into a socket in the motherboard, the attach plate of the interface card is located at the corresponding opening in the housing and blocks the opening. The attach plate further provides the phycial and electrical interface with the peripheral device. When no card is installed, a baffle plate is typically used to cover the corresponding opening, thus protecting the motherboard and other components inside the computer housing as well as shielding these components. Accordingly, the baffle is removed before a card is installed.
Described above is a conventional design for existing computers. Typically, such interfaces are governed by commonly used standards. Widely used specifications for such interface cards include PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnection), AGP (A Gateway Protocol, and ISA (Industrial Standard Architecture). Typical PCI cards, for example, include network cards, data cards, sound effect cards, video cards and the like.
Mounting schemes for interface cards vary; however, existing systems suffer from the drawback that they are difficult, labor-intensive, and/or time-consuming to employ. It is desirable to have a mounting device for one or more interface cards in a computer that allow for quick and easy installation thereof. Further, the reliability of the electrical signal carried by the interface card is affected by the connection made between the interface card and the socket, and it is desirable to maintain a reliable connection therebetween. Also, in some applications (such as low-profile, compact computers), it is desirable to mount the interface card low inside the computer housing, allowing the housing to have a lower profile.